


Crawlspace

by Szcay



Series: WCWC and related works [3]
Category: The Expanse (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anyways they're all on the Cant, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood and Violence, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Pre-Series, Slavery, Sort of? Or maybe in a universe where the Cant was fine?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-17 04:49:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12357828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Szcay/pseuds/Szcay
Summary: An AU-AU take on White Collar War Crimes: The sponsor-law is passed when the crew is still on theCant. McDowell jumps at the chance for cheaper labour.Though sort of set before WCWC it builds on concepts introduced in that fic, and so I recommend reading that first. It doesn't spoil WCWC though.





	Crawlspace

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn’t let it go… So here's a bit more of the same! Sort of. Not informed by the books in any way, so there’s probably a lot of clashes with canon...
> 
> How does this fit in the timeline? Shhhh…
> 
>  
> 
> See endnotes for slightly spoilery warnings.

Ceres loomed in front of them and Alex didn’t know if it would be a respite or just further degradation that awaited him. The last time they’d been here, he and the rest of the Martians had been dragged off the ship to be collared and tagged. The rest of the stay they’d been confined to the _Cant_.

“Take us in nice and easy,” McDowell ordered uselessly, as if Alex hadn’t done this a hundred times before. Perhaps he thought it was different now, that Alex had lost his brains together with his freedom.

“Yes, sir,” Alex muttered. Giving McDowell the respect he wanted was easier.

Pur and Kleen was an Earth corporation, and the Earthers on this ship outnumbered the Martians four to one. There were even more Belters on the ship and Alex had hoped for sympathy, or at least neutrality from them. He had been disappointed.

Still, the others had it worse than him. Hansen was too young and stupid to know when to quit and Alex had seen him sitting at Shed’s table with a broken arm the other day, meeting his gaze with blackened eyes. Sibil was a lot smarter, but it was never going to be easy for an attractive woman and he’d seen her grow quieter and quieter over the last weeks. Josef was doing okay for now, being old friends with his sponsor, Sam, but Alex wondered how long that would last. Sam liked to gamble, and now he had Josef’s scrip too; that could get real ugly. If the EMSO didn’t catch them first. In comparison McDowell was alright. Alex had gotten away easy.

He hailed the station, feeling as if the traffic controller’s voice was just a little bit colder than usual. The ship itself felt colder. People Alex had counted as friends, not close friends but friends nonetheless, suddenly turned away. Half of the crew seemed to want nothing to do with the Martians, treating them more or less like air. The other half seemed to vacillate between acting like they were made of glass and demonstratively treating them with exaggerated normalcy. Like doe-eyed Ade. Or Jim ‘I refuse to take part in slavery’ Holden. And there was a third, mercifully smaller half who was even worse, treating them as, well, slaves.

These things combined made the Martians seek their own company. No matter that Alex found Hansen to be one of the most annoying people on the ship. No matter that Sibil always carefully kept just out of touching distance from the rest of them.

“Great,” McDowell said as the docking clamps locked. “Now let’s get that ice unloaded.”

Alex let his hands fall to his lap. Considered for a moment whether he should stay until McDowell dismissed him, but unloading usually had him busy and their working relationship hadn’t really changed _that_ much. He got up and quietly left.

 

“Hey, Alex!”

Alex stopped with a weary sigh.

The head engineer, Naomi, came towards him, her guard dog following on her heels. They belonged to those who pretended like there was nothing wrong with the new order. “I need to talk to you about the drive. You busy?”

“No, go ahead,” Alex answered.

He didn’t want to talk about the drive. He wanted to go to his bunk and sleep for a week. He’d tried doing that just after getting the collar. McDowell might not be cruel, but he knew how to use the tools at his disposal to make sure his crew worked.

Naomi proceeded to give him a lecture on how to fly his ship. Yes, he’d noticed she’d gotten a bit slow in the initial burn. Yes, he usually just gave her a bit more power. What he was _supposed_ to do was to wait a second and _then_ give her more power and Naomi went into great detail, much of which honestly went over Alex’s head, as to why it was important. When she was finished they were down in engineering, in front of a diagram over engine temperature and Alex’s head was aching.

“Sure.” A month ago he would have argued that he knew what he was doing. “I’ll do that.”

“Make sure you do,” Amos said with mechanical menace.

Alex nodded carefully. He had learnt the hard way that the Earthers were usually the ones taking the biggest advantage of the new order, even those who hadn’t been offered sponsorship of the Martians on-board. He turned to leave.

“Alex!”

No. No more.

Tall and gangly Josef came running and Alex did not have the energy for this. At least it wasn’t Hansen, who actually worked here and with another Martian he was at least free to say he was busy.

“Josef, I don’t-”

“It’s Hansen,” Josef whispered, leaning in close enough that the watching engineers couldn’t hear. “He’s dead.”

Any protest died on Alex’s tongue. “What?” he breathed.

Josef’s eyes were wide and shocked. “He spaced himself. Just like that. Someone saw him, he just stepped right out an airlock.”

Jesus. Of all the ways to go, that wasn’t the one Alex would have chosen. Josef’s eyes were misting over and Alex put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture felt hollow. Hansen was just a kid and Alex felt like shit for always being so annoyed with him.

 

They went to find Sibil. Arrived just ten minutes before her sponsor came to take her with him for a night out. Spent the first three in teary-eyed silence.

“We talked yesterday,” she whispered, sitting at the far end of her bunk, Alex and Josef on the floor below. “Scott was being… really horrible and he said he understood.” She shivered. “Apparently some of the guys had done the same to him.”

“They-” Josef cut himself off, mercifully.

They didn’t need it spoken aloud. Hansen was- _had been_ young. Good looking, if you liked men.

Alex pulled his legs to his chest.

It all came down to your sponsor. Scott was a real piece of shit, and treated Sibil accordingly. But at least he didn’t let any of the others lay a hand on her, as far as Alex could tell. Sam had Josef’s back. Mora hadn’t cared much for Hansen at all, had only been after the extra scrip. Hadn’t cared what anyone else did to him either.

“Maybe Scott isn’t so bad after all,” Sibil said quietly.

“Don’t you dare say that!” Josef cut in. “Not with what he does to you!”

“But think about it! He’s jealous. If he’d been like Mora, then what? Same for you, you have Sam!”

As one, their eyes turned to Alex.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he growled. “No one’s interested in me, I’m too old and ugly.”

“But McDowell wouldn’t care if they did anything, would he?” Josef’s expression was quietly evaluating. “He’d be fine as long as you could do your job.”

“Please be careful, Alex,” Sibil whispered.

Alex swallowed. “Guys, no one’s gonna come after me.”

“Jesus Christ!” The door opened and they all jumped. “Don’t you have your own goddamned bunks?” Scott’s face was dark and Josef and Alex scrambled to their feet, leaving as quickly and quietly as they could.

Alex didn’t look back. He wanted to let Sibil keep a scrap of dignity.

“Seriously, Alex,” Josef whispered once the door closed.

“No.”

“You need to consider it.”

“Josef. One more word about this and I’m leaving.”

Josef sighed. “Let’s go get some coffee.”

 

They drank their coffee in silence in the empty mess. Then Sam came to collect Josef and go out. They asked if Alex wanted to come, and Sam was nice enough for an Earther but Alex found he couldn’t really relax around a sponsor. What would he do anyways? A drink sounded really nice, but he had no scrip. He would have to settle for a good night’s sleep and some time off. He wished he still had his headphones.

 

There turned out not to be any time off for Alex. McDowell woke him nice and early and had him cleaning crawlspaces down in engineering and Alex had protested in a weak moment. His fingertips tingled with aftershock as he wielded the ultrasound scrubber. He was free labour without rights and he needed to remember that.

Down here in the nooks and crannies of the empty _Cant_ it wasn’t easy not to feel a chill down the back of his neck. Wasn’t easy not to think of Hansen in hidden places like this, where anything could go unnoticed.

“Hey.”

Alex jumped, banging his head on the low ceiling of the small access tunnel he was in. He turned around to see Amos the Earther guard dog, large enough to fill up the whole space, crouching behind him.

“Hi.” Alex’s voice was commendably steady, despite the shock. How quiet was the guy?

“Didn’t figure there’d be anyone down here.” Naomi wasn’t with him. “This isn’t your job.”

“My job is whatever cap says.” Alex had half a mind to turn around and leave. But McDowell would find out. They’d been over that the first week.

“Well, my job is to fix that glitchy connection over there, so I guess we just have to get along.” The Earther’s face was completely emotionless.

“Sure.” Alex shuffled out of the way.

The space wasn’t big enough for the two of them. Amos worked in complete silence, making Alex’s hair stand on edge. The air grew hot and stale. Alex had a hard time keeping Hansen’s ghost at bay, reminding him what might have taken place right here in this tunnel and that one of his assailants may very well be right in here with him.

“Can I get past?” Alex asked quietly.

Amos moved a little to the side, though not enough to let Alex pass without touching. He cursed Josef and Sibil for putting such stupid, stupid ideas in his head as he squeezed past. The guy was built like a damned tank. Alex worked faster.

“Hey, Amos! Naomi wants to know if you’re done!” Rowan, a lean Belter who was usually friendly enough, yelled through the hatch.

“I need a minute!”

“Want a hand _ke_?” Rowan poked his head in the tube. It definitely wasn’t big enough for all of them.

“I’ll get out of your way.” Alex could come back and finish later. Relieved, he crawled the few metres to the exit only to find Rowan blocking it.

“You were friends with Hansen, right?” he said, while Alex crouched awkwardly in front of him.

“Yeah.” Easier to think of him like that when he was dead.

“It was a shame what happened.”

‘Happened’, as if it was an accident.

Rowan continued: “I liked him, he was a good kid.”

“He was.” Alex pushed down the shame, wished he’d been nicer.

Rowan made a sympathetic face, motioning him closer and lowering his voice. “A few of the guys used to call him ‘Handsome Hansen’. It started as a joke, but he never liked it.”

Alex looked up, didn’t get it.

“’Course he liked it even less when they got him down here alone. Kept quiet though, knew what was best for him. He was smart.” He gave Alex a conspiratorial smile. “It’s gonna get boring down here without him. For a lot of us. How smart are you, _towchu_?”

Alex felt sick. It couldn’t be right, he couldn’t be understanding it right. Rowan’s eyes glittered with cold amusement.

“It’s done.”

Amos’ voice from right behind him made Alex startle. He was trapped. He was going to end up like Hansen. First it would be these guys and then a dozen others and in the end he wouldn’t think twice about jumping out an airlock.

“You gonna just stand there, Rowan?”

Rowan chuckled at Amos’ words and miraculously moved out of the way. Alex slunk past him, heart pounding. To hell with McDowell’s damned crawlspaces; Alex was going to stay out of the way and pray he didn’t notice.

 

He didn’t get away with it.

“It’s a simple enough job!” McDowell’s face was red and exasperated. “Why you should get special treatment? I don’t see any of the other MXs complaining.”

“I think Hansen had a few complaints,” Alex said quietly. He was already in trouble; what did a bit more matter?

“Hansen couldn’t adapt.” McDowell sighed. “I hate being that guy, but times have changed and you need to change with them. I like you, Alex. You’re a decent pilot, you do your job and don’t cause trouble.” It wasn’t high praise. “Just do what I tell you to do and you’ll be fine.”

“I’m a pilot. I don’t wanna clean the crawlspaces.” Alex’s voice ended up somewhere between ‘petulant teenager’ and ‘coward scared of dark places.

McDowell rubbed his face. “It doesn’t matter.” He sighed again, glancing at his creepy glass cats as if gathering strength. Alex knew what was coming. “You do know why I’m going to do this, right?” He picked up his hand terminal.

Alex swallowed. “’Cause I didn’t do what you told me.”

He kneeled down; the closer to the ground the lesser the fall.

“And?”

“And for talking back.” He tried to remember that he had it better than so many others.

McDowell pressed the button and Alex folded over in pain.

He hated this. Hated it more every time. It never got easier, never got less painful. No amount of McDowell’s regretful faces and condescending words would make this okay. It felt like someone was driving nails in under his skin, like they had set the air on fire. His head felt like it was going to explode from the pressure behind his eyes. Then it stopped and Alex found himself halfway under McDowell’s desk.

“I don’t enjoy this,” McDowell said. “I don’t _like_ being your sponsor so please stop making this harder than it has to be.”

Alex picked himself off the floor.

 

He hated the crawlspaces. Hated them more than anything, even the shocks. He was trying to persuade himself that Rowan and Amos had only been playing a joke on him. That they’d only wanted to see his reaction. It wasn’t working. Josef and Sibil had been right, damn it. He tried to be as quiet and invisible as he could. It worked for a while.

“Are you down here, _towchu mali_?”

No, no, no. Alex was in a narrow space underneath the engine. The ceiling was low enough to brush his head standing and there was only one entrance: the opening through which Rowan appeared.

“Downtrade from flying the ship, _keyá_?”

“I need to finish or cap will have my head.” Alex’s voice was steady enough.

Rowan dropped down through the opening. Right behind him was Colling, an Earther who had always given Alex the creeps.

“Guys, whatever this is, let’s talk about it.” Alex took a step back.

“Nah, I don’t think there’s a need.” Colling gave him an ugly smile. “See some of us don’t have enough scrip for Ceres’ _entertainment_. We need something else, and since Hansen isn’t here anymore that falls to you.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll let you get back to work soon enough.” Rowan’s voice was mocking. “Now are you gonna be smart and stay quiet? Or do you want the whole ship to know about this?”

Shit. That was what they’d used against Hansen: his pride. An irrelevant thought under the circumstances.

“It will happen either way,” Colling said. “Ain’t against the law, and McDowell won’t care enough to stop it.”

They had moved, didn’t quite block the exit anymore. Alex tried to bolt.

Colling caught him, slamming him against a pipe. Alex fought back, managing to get loose, but then Rowan tripped him up and caught him under the jaw with his boot. Alex’s head snapped back and he nearly bit his tongue off.

“Good try,” Rowan said, sounding amused. Colling put a foot on Alex’s back.

“Please, guys, don’t,” Alex tried.

“It will be over before you know it.” Colling’s voice was calm.

Alex should have begged McDowell on his knees not to send him back here. He tried to fight it when they started tearing at his clothes. He managed to give Rowan a black eye and got a mouth full of blood for the trouble. He knew it was no use but he couldn’t just give in. But eventually they got him pinned on the floor.

“Stop!” he finally yelled, panicking now, and got his own cap stuffed in his mouth for the trouble.

“Not so smart.” Rowan growled and shoved his jumpsuit down his thighs.

Colling’s hands were like steel around Alex’s arms, twisting them behind his back and pressing him down against the floor and he was losing.

Another thump against the metal floor and Alex caught a glimpse of Amos standing broad in front of them. His gaze was cold on Alex, and all he could think was ‘not another one’. Two were already more than he could take, Rowan’s hands yanking his legs apart more than enough to make his mind break into small, babbling fragments. Amos moved and Alex squeezed his eyes shut.

A crack and Rowan’s hands vanished.

“Fuck, Amos! What’s your problem?” Colling let Alex go and he scrambled away.

Rowan was on the floor, eyes closed and nose crushed into his bleeding face. Amos said nothing, just kicked Colling in the gut, following it up with a punch to the face. Alex tried to get his shaking hands to cooperate enough to get his pants back on. Amos stopped punching and Colling’s face wasn’t really recognisable anymore. Alex shied back when he turned to him. There was blood splattered on his cheek.

“You okay?” Amos’ voice sounded like it didn’t get much practice being gentle.

Alex had to spit his cap out to answer. “I’m fine.” He managed to get his jumpsuit over his hips. Decided he’d rather have his hands free in case Amos tried anything than get it the rest of the way.

“They try this before?”

‘ _This’_ …

Alex shook his head. “Not to me.”

Amos frowned.

“Hansen,” Alex whispered.

Amos’ face grew dark. “Shit.” He sounded angry and Alex tensed. “I should have noticed.”

“He didn’t want anyone to know.” He’d kept it quiet. Never let it on, even to them. Had only told Sibil when he was at the end of his rope. Alex couldn’t imagine what it must have been like, even now when he was soon to be in the same place.

“Hey, hey, shit, don’t cry.”

Alex took a hitching breath, rubbed at his face and felt wetness. Shit. As if this Earther hadn’t already seen him at his worst.

“You gonna be okay?” Amos sounded really out of his depth.

“McDowell won’t care what they do. It’s not just them. It’s just a matter of time.” Alex was going to end up like Hansen. Maybe he should just go find an airlock and spare himself the pain.

Amos put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, heavy, warm and sticky with blood. “No,” he said, eyes firm and fixed on Alex’s. “It won’t happen. We’ll figure it out. Come on.”

He pulled Alex from the floor, smearing more blood down his arm. Alex shrugged back into his jumpsuit with a shiver and zipped it all the way up.

“Let’s go find Naomi.”

 

“Amos…” Naomi hadn’t looked very impressed when Amos and Alex appeared. She looked even less impressed as Amos explained, with Alex standing quiet by the door to the small storage room they’d chosen.

Amos continued undeterred. “They were doing the same thing to Hansen.”

Naomi’s frown deepened. Alex gingerly touched his split lip with his tongue.

“Shouldn’t we help him?” That was less an attempt at persuasion and more of an honest question; Alex felt cold at the thought of Naomi saying no. He barely knew these two but he had no one else to pin his hopes to.

“I don’t see what we can do.”

Alex’s heart fell. He lowered his gaze to the floor, which he would soon be making a closer acquaintance with.

“Besides,” she continued. “Rowan and Colling are a more pressing concern.”

“I didn’t kill them,” Amos said defensively.

“That’s good, but what if they cause trouble for you?”

“They won’t.” Amos’ tone was dark. “But they might cause trouble for him.”

Naomi sighed. “Fine. We’ll get Shed, assuming he’s sober, and make him take a look at those two. And you too.”

Alex shook his head. “No need, I’m okay.” He hurt all over but there was nothing broken. No harm done. Yet.

“No, you need to exaggerate. Convince Shed that you’re in no condition to work; that’ll buy us enough time to think of something.”

Alex met her eyes. They were deep with anger.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“Don’t thank me yet.” She sighed. “Let’s go find Shed.”

 

Shed was _mostly_ sober. It ended up working in their favour, after Colling and Rowan had been hauled out from the crawlspace and it was Alex’s turn to be treated. He groaned in exaggerated pain as Shed pressed on the dark bruise over his ribs and Shed blinked owlishly at him.

“Yeah, that’s probably broken, or cracked at least,” he murmured, picking up a bandage and plucking at it aimlessly.

“You can’t go down in those crawlspaces with a broken rib, Alex.” Naomi was playing the aggravated engineer well. “I won’t have you puncturing a lung and causing more delays than you already have.”

“No, yeah, right, definitely,” Shed filled in. “Get some rest, let it heal. I have some great painkiller if you have the- oh, yeah, right. No scrip, got it.”

Alex was happy he didn’t actually have a broken rib, because he was sure Shed was supposed to do more than just make him rest. Then again, it was working in their favour.

“I’ll let McDowell know,” Naomi said.

 

She gave him strict orders to stay in open spaces with other people around. She grumbled and groused that she couldn’t spare Amos when she was already two men short, but let him follow Alex to a bathroom to get cleaned up. Alex couldn’t pretend he was comfortable in the tiny room with the massive Earther, but Amos had had every chance to hurt him so he tried not to let his discomfort show.

Alex quickly washed away the blood, both his own and Colling’s, maybe Rowan’s. His split lip didn’t look so bad, but there was a bruise forming over the whole half of his face which had been pressed against the floor.

Amos used the tiny sink to wash away a significantly larger amount of blood, and still only got some of it.

“Thank you,” Alex said quietly.

“No problem.” Amos sounded so casual.

 

Alex went to the mess and Amos left him there. There weren’t many people, but enough. Alex got a cup of coffee and a seat at their usual table in the corner, turning his back to the room. His lip stung and his head hurt. His coffee was cold by the time he could make himself take the first sip.

“Alex, am I glad to see you!” Josef’s voice was uncharacteristically loud, too agitated to wait until he was close enough to speak quietly.

Alex didn’t turn around. Felt both unwilling to be seen like this and relieved for the company.

“Sam gambled away half of my savings last night! We agreed that my scrip was gonna be my scrip.”

“Nothing’s ours,” Alex muttered. “You’d better get used to that.”

Josef rounded the table and sat down. “Do you know what he- Alex? What happened?”

Alex took another sip of cold coffee and met Josef’s shocked gaze evenly. “Disagreement with the free people.”

“You? You never disagree with anyone.”

Because he wasn’t an idiot. “They disagreed with me.”

Josef’s eyes narrowed. “Is this about…” He lowered his voice, finally. “…the Hansen-thing?”

“It’s not gonna happen, Josef. Let it go.”

Josef’s concerned expression didn’t fade. “It is. Did they…?” The pity on his face felt like a stab to the gut.

“No.” They wouldn’t. Not if Alex- Not if _Amos_ and _Naomi_ could prevent it.

There was really nothing Alex could do.

“Sibil!” Josef whisper-shouted over Alex’s shoulder. “Come quick.”

Sibil wasn’t looking much better than Alex, her upper lip puffy and swollen. Despite that, she got the same look of horrified pity as Josef when she saw him. “Did they…?”

“No!” Alex’s voice came out a little harder than he intended. He tried to soften it. “No.”

“But they tried.” There was no doubt in her voice.

Alex couldn’t deny it.

“Who was it?”

“Rowan and Colling,” he mumbled. Suddenly it was hard to meet their gazes. He let his eyes rest on Sibil’s collar instead. Tried not to be overcome with self-pity.

“I heard those guys got busted up,” Josef said, expectation in his voice.

“Someone stepped in.”

“Lucky bastard.” Alex thought he heard bitterness in Sibil’s voice. Couldn’t fault her for it.

“I doubt it was just the two of them.” Josef lowered his voice even further. “Am I right?”

“I’m willing to bet Tosh’s part of it too, he was always bullying Hansen,” Sibil whispered.

Alex could think of at least half a dozen guys who’d had a problem with Hansen. Didn’t mean they had all been… That they were all going to come after him now.

“You’ve gotta be more careful, Alex.” The concern in her voice tipped Alex over.

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” he hissed. “McDowell had me scrubbing crawlspaces! Only reason I’m not there right now is ‘cause I convinced Shed I was injured.”

Josef hissed back even more furiously: “That’s not-“

“Well, well… _pomanglowda_ fighting _ke_?”

As one they shut their mouths and lowered their heads.

Speak of the devil. Tosh and two other Belters stood over them and Alex heard the malicious glee in his voice. “We hear is your fault Rowan’s face got crushed.”

Sure, his fault.

“What you say, _sabaka_?” He shoved Alex and Alex kept his head down, didn’t react. He’d learnt the hard way that there was nothing he could say to make it better. He had to ride it out. They couldn’t do anything here and now.

Josef got up, trying to leave quietly, but one of the others pushed him down in his seat. “When we done with him, maybe it’s your turn,” he growled.

“You can’t touch me.” The conviction in Josef’s voice came from knowing that it may not be illegal for them to hurt him, but his sponsor would make the EMSO get a hefty fine out of them.

“For now,” Tosh said mildly. “When your owner stop caring, then you fair game. Same for you, _gufovedi_.”

Sibil looked like a stone statue; Alex wasn’t sure she was even breathing. He glanced around. There were a few other people there but they were acting like they didn’t notice. Maybe they really didn’t. The Belters were keeping their voices down.

“For now…” Tosh grabbed Alex’s collar, forcing him to get up or get choked. “…you pay for Rowan’s face.”

Alex clawed at his hands as Tosh pulled him roughly backwards and looped a meaty forearm around his shoulders in a parody of camaraderie. Josef and Sibil kept their heads down. No one else looked their way. Cold horror grew in Alex’s stomach.

“I didn’t do anything to him.” He knew it didn’t matter, but he was not very far above begging. Not after what had just happened.

Tosh’s arm tightened. “Quiet now. We talk about this somewhere more private.”

They surrounded him, began pulling him towards the exit, away from the flimsy protection of other people and Alex’s mind was too filled with quiet panic to resist.

They almost walked straight into Holden.

“Oh, sorry guys.” The Earther took a quick step back, then a second look, pausing on Alex’s face. “Everything okay?”

Tosh crushed Alex’s collar against his shoulder as he squeezed him. “Yeah, boss.” Tosh’s voice was light. Normal.

Holden looked at him, then back to Alex. Alex met his eyes and shook his head minutely. Tosh’s arm tightened, grinding collar against bone, hard enough to make him grit his teeth.

“Come to think of it,” Holden said slowly. “Alex, I think McDowell was looking for you. I was going there myself, why don’t we go together?”

“Sure thing, hoss.” Alex’s voice was a weak approximation of its normal self.

Tosh released him. Holden turned and went back the way he came and Alex hurried after him.

“Does cap really wanna see me?” Alex would take McDowell over Tosh’s gang, but only just.

“Nope. You looked like you needed help,” Holden said calmly.

This was Alex’s ‘being saved by Earthers’-day it seemed.

Holden stopped, taking in Alex’s bruised face. “Did they do that?”

“No.” Alex lowered his head a fraction, hiding his expression and bruises as best he could.

“But they’re after you.” Alex didn’t really know Holden that well. Didn’t trust him. “Can I help?”

Alex didn’t want to be everyone’s charity project. But he swallowed his pride. “If you can walk with me for a bit, that’d be good.”

“Sure. Where to?” Holden said pleasantly.

It would have to be Naomi or Amos. Naomi was the one with the plan and the one pulling Amos’ strings. But Amos was the one who had come to his aid.

Holden’s expression was mildly surprised, but he agreed easily enough.

 

Down to engineering again and Alex’s skin crawled for being back here. Amos had changed his blood-stained clothes and didn’t act surprised to see him. Holden went back to his own business.

“Boss told you to wait,” Amos said as soon as they were alone. “You’re gonna be in the way.”

“They came after me.” Alex tried not to sound too pathetic. “I have nowhere else to go.”

Amos frowned. “Stay quiet and stay out of the way.”

Alex gratefully did what he was told.

 

“Amos?” Naomi came around the corner and Amos rose immediately from the mess of wires he’d been working on.

Alex stayed seated, hunched closed to the wall in an attempt to avoid notice.

“I have an idea, we need…” She noticed him. “Alex. Why are you here?” She sounded even less pleased than Amos to see him.

“Bunch of the other guys went after him,” Amos answered. “He’s helping me.”

Alex had been passing him tools, holding onto things for him and once, memorably, gotten electrocuted when he accidentally touched two wires together. It had hurt less than the collar and been over quicker. If anything he made Amos’ work slower.

“You need to stop collecting strays,” Naomi muttered.

It was an apt observation. Alex couldn’t fault it, despite how it hurt his pride.

She cocked her head. “Come here, I need to talk to you.”

They went down the corridor but remained in Alex’s eyesight, mercifully. He shifted a bit on the cold, hard floor. Tried not to think of how the bruises hurt whenever he moved. Didn’t watch Amos and Naomi. Either they would or wouldn’t help him, and considering Naomi’s frown when she saw him he was beginning to think it was more likely they couldn’t. He was beginning to resign himself to the fact that his life was going to get a lot worse from now on. Tried to tell himself not to fight it next time. It would only make it worse. Naomi and Amos came back and Alex rose, steeling himself for the bad news.

“Naomi has a plan.” Amos managed to sound both pleased and completely unsurprised.

 

They went to McDowell’s office, all three of them, Naomi in the lead and Alex trailing behind.

“Ms Nagata. Have there been any more _accidents_ in engineering?” McDowell sounded annoyed already. Then he saw Alex’s face and his frown deepened. “That was some accident.”

Alex lowered his head and stayed silent. McDowell didn’t pursue the matter, didn’t care as long as Alex would be fine to fly in time to leave.

“We have a proposition.” Naomi’s manner was all business and McDowell responded to it, eyes drawn back to her. “It can’t be easy running a ship and keeping on top of an MX at the same time.”

McDowell sighed and gave Alex a very tired look. “He’s not making it easy.”

“And you’re not even getting to enjoy any of the benefits,” Amos added with a predatory grin.

“So we thought,” Naomi said, with a brief glare at Amos. “Why don’t we take over some of the burden? Free you of one of many responsibilities?”

“I’m already paying the other sponsors’ MXs half-salaries,” McDowell grumbled. “If you want that overhaul, this isn’t the way of going about it.”

“We’ll take a quarter,” Amos said, still with a hint of predator under his voice. “And you’ll have one headache less.”

McDowell sighed, glancing at his creepy cats. “I need him fit enough, and _motivated_ enough, to do his job.” He gave Alex a look, half annoyance and half perhaps regret. “Maybe you’ll have better luck with the last. You mess up, you’re gone.”

“Done,” Naomi said.

If Alex hadn’t already been wound so tight he would have been chilled at how McDowell settled it with barely a glance at him.

 

Going to the EMSO and getting them to approve the transfer didn’t take long at all and soon they stood on the street outside the office. McDowell headed off, his steps perhaps a little lighter, his shoulders perhaps a bit more heavy. No need to do the dirty work himself, but he would have to live with whatever happened. Alex wondered if he would have agreed as readily if Colling and Rowan had come to him first.

“That’s that then,” Amos said.

Naomi frowned. “He’ll be your responsibility, I’m not gonna be a part of it.”

Alex shifted his feet. He could get where she was coming from, suspected she’d helped him more because of Amos than because of him.

Her voice grew a little softer. “Don’t lose your temper.”

Amos met her eyes steadily, nodding. She left, and Alex was alone with his new sponsor.

“We should get back to the ship,” Amos said, turning to him. He really _didn’t_ look at Alex any differently than he did anyone else. Didn’t have pity, disdain or discomfort in his eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” Alex could ask now, when it was done. When it wasn’t so fragile that a single word might break it.

Amos gave him a long look before answering.

 

_The way I see it, there are only three kinds of people in the world:_

_Bad ones,_

_Ones you follow,_

_And ones you need to protect._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Contains a scene of violent attempted rape. Also references to an abusive relationship, which is also non-consensual.
> 
> Belter glossary, courtesy of the [internet](http://expanse.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Belter_Creole_individual_articles):  
> ke - (used at end of yes/no question)  
> towchu - slave  
> towchu mali - little slave  
> keyá - right?  
> pomanglowda - Martians (plural)  
> sabaka - bastard  
> gufovedi - beautiful, good-looking
> 
> Terms specific for this fic:  
> MX - Martian Expatriate (essentially slaves)  
> EMSO - Earth-Mars Sponsor Office (essentially slave-management office)
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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